Our History

Since 1936 in Houston and 1984 in Louisiana, we've been working to ensure that all women, men and teens have access to safe, affordable health care and accurate information.

The Maternal Health Center, Houston's first family planning center, opened in 1936. In 1942, the Maternal Health Center became Planned Parenthood Center of Houston following the name change of the national American Birth Control League to Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

By 1969, the Houston agency had grown to be the country's third largest affiliate. At the behest of the State of Texas, additional centers were opened in Houston and surrounding communities and the name changed in 1979 to Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas (PPHSET).

In 1984, Planned Parenthood of Louisiana was established with the opening of the Magazine Street Health Center in New Orleans. Health and education services were expanded through 1991 when the name changed to Planned Parenthood of Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta (PPLAMD) with the addition of new service territory. The Baton Rouge Health Center was opened in 1992.

PPHSET was invited to assume management of Planned Parenthood of Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta in 2005, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, the two affiliates officially merged to become Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (PPGC) on September 1, 2010.

Today, PPGC operates seven health centers in Texas and two in Louisiana, serving clients in the Houston area and the entire state of Louisiana.

PPFA Margaret Sanger Award

Family Planning - A Special and Urgent Concern by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1966, Planned Parenthood Federation of America inaugurated the PPFA Margaret Sanger Award to honor the woman who founded America's family planning movement. The PPFA Margaret Sanger Award is given annually to individuals of distinction in recognition of excellence and leadership in furthering reproductive health and reproductive rights.

In its first year, the award was bestowed upon four men. Among them was The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., for "his courageous resistance to bigotry and his lifelong dedication to the advancement of social justice and human dignity".